All Sindh Hotel and Restaurant Grand Association says around 400 hotels have been sealed on the commissioner’s orders
KARACHI:
The All Sindh Hotel and Restaurant Grand Association on Wednesday staged a protest against the Karachi Commissioner’s campaign to seal chai dhabas (tea stalls), fast food and BBQ joints across the city in a crackdown on encroachments.
Most of the city’s dhabas and restaurants remained closed, causing inconvenience to citizens, especially in the early hours as many struggled to find their morning caffeine fix.
Members of the association staged a protest outside the Karachi Press Club in which a large number of hoteliers and employees participated. The protesters carried placards highlighting their demands and condemning the ongoing operations against restaurants and cafes.
Later in a press conference, the association’s chairman Haji Noor-ul-Haq, president Jafar Shah and representatives Haji Ramzan and Wali Khan said that there are more than 14,000 chai dhabas in Karachi, each employing over 10 workers.
Restaurant and hotel owners and workers are staging protests outside the press club against the closure of chai dhabas, fast food and grill shops. Photo: Express
They claimed that under the Karachi Commissioner’s orders, Deputy and Assistant Commissioners have sealed around 400 shops in an anti-encroachment operation. “These hotels sell only chai and paratha. Many have been closed for over a week – this is financial murder,” the executives said.
They added that encroachment is not limited to restaurants and cafes alone, and while anti-encroachment actions are positive in principle, targeting small businesses hurts the poor and middle class who depend on them. The association claimed that the authorities not only closed cafes and restaurants but also confiscated their furniture, electrical appliances and other equipment.
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The association drew attention to the fact that they place chairs and tables outside the shops in the late hours, when traffic is thin. Moreover, there has been no public complaint or objection in court against these hangouts, which provide a gathering point for people to relax after a stressful day.
With the increasing number of anxiety and depression patients in the city plagued by water, electricity and gas cuts, broken roads and collapsed law and order, these dhabas provide mental relief to citizens, they said.
The association appealed to the CM, the Chief Secretary and the Commissioner to stop the operation and resolve the issue through negotiations. A meeting with the Karachi Commissioner is scheduled for today (Thursday), which the association hopes will lead to a decision. “If the problem remains unresolved,” the leaders warned, “we will launch a nationwide protest.”
